GASTECH-US energy firm Argent LNG signs gas deal with Turkey's EPIAS

By Timour Azhari

BEIRUT, Sept 9 (Reuters) - U.S.-based energy firm Argent LNG has signed a 5 million metric tons per gas supply deal with Turkish energy bourse Enerji Piyasalari Isletme AS (EPIAS), in a move billed as aimed at moving U.S. gas into Europe and potentially Syria.

Argent LNG, which is developing a liquefied natural gas export facility in Louisiana, in January signed a non-binding agreement to supply Bangladesh up to 5 million metric tons of the fuel annually, the first major U.S. LNG supply deal since U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term.

"The company has committed an initial 5 mtpa to supply Southeast and Central Europe under this new partnership, reinforcing both economic and energy security for its partners," the press release said.

The deal was signed at the Gastech energy conference in Milan.

"This is a big geopolitical move to get material into the market as backup supply to EU countries," said Jonathan Bass, Argent LNG's CEO.

"We are forward positioning American LNG into the Eastern European market to supply and provide energy security and flatten the curve of shortages."

He said the gas could also be supplied via Turkey to neighbouring Syria, bypassing a potentially complicated direct deal with Damascus, where U.S. sanctions are being lifted after the fall of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad, but barriers to trade remain in place.

Turkey has ambitions to become a regional energy trading hub and is trying to position itself as a conduit for supplies to southeastern Europe.

Ankara is also extending its energy cooperation with the United States. Last year, it signed a 10-year LNG supply deal with ExxonMobil and a shale oil prospecting deal with Continental Resources.

A major gas market, Turkey complements its pipeline imports with LNG. Russia is the largest pipeline gas supplier, and LNG makes up to a third of 50 bcm annual gas imports.

The U.S. is the largest LNG supplier.

Turkey has extensive LNG import infrastructure, with state gas importer BOTAS operating three terminals.

Ankara is also positioning itself to be a major player in post-Assad reconstruction, and began supplying 1.2 bcm of Azerbaijani gas to Syria last month.